The Restaurant Guys

An Old Fashioned Evening with 14yr Scotch and Cigars!

An Old Fashioned Evening!   Celebrating 14-Year Olds and Cigars Sunday, June 30th

Sunday June 30, we'll have a fantastic lineup of 14-year single-malt whiskies. Come in to dinner and taste through The Balvenie and Glendiffich from Scotland and Tullamore Dew from Ireland.  While these are generally a little pricey to be used on cocktails, we'll be offering them in prestige old-fashioneds or just neat at $10.   Alec Bradley will also be here rolling some delicious cigars from 4:30 - 7:30. If the weather cooperates, we'll be smoking them on the sidewalk cafe. Cigar and Tasting are complimentary with dinner (or even a burger at the bar). Come see us.   Note From Mark: As many of you know I have 4 children. Birthdays are always pretty special but some numbers seem more important than others; 16, 18 and 21 for example. In my family another birthday makes the "special " list: 14. This month Sarah Elizabeth, my youngest, turns 14!   Sixteen, 18, & 21 all mark special years in our children's lives. Fourteen, on the other hand, is a special year in parents' lives. Twelve and 13 are trying years for parents as our kids struggle and change from children to adults. They are full of angst and most of that angst is foisted upon their parents. If you've had a 13 year old you know what I'm talking about.   Whiskey can be the same way. There is just something about some whiskies when they turn 14. They get a little more sophisticated and interesting. They can come across as a little sweeter and less petulant. Sound familiar?   So come ring in 14 with us on June 30! We've chosen some whiskies that were born at the same time as Sarah for us all to celebrate with!  --Mark

Maine Beer Company - Draft Beer Dinner

Maine Beer Company
All Draft Beer Dinner - Tap Takeover
Sunday, June 23 at 6:30 PM



Maine Beer Company is making some of the best beers in The United States! They make small batches that are somewhat hard to get, especially on draft. Well, we got them AND we're doing a Maine Beer Company All Draft Dinner Tap Takeover.

Hors d’Oeuvres
★Lunch

General Tso Pork Belly
Hot Pepper Corn Bread
★ Woods and Water
 
Mango & Ramp Fried Chicken
Orange, Garlic Fingerlings & Pickled Ramps
 ★ Another One
 
Lamb
Fermented Garlic, Bone Marrow & French Onion Puree
★ MO
★ Zoe
 
Duck Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies
Hazelnut & Chocolate Ice Cream

$99 per person plus tax and service
[email protected] or 732-828-4444

Beefsteak & Rum - Father's Day at Stage Left Steak

Beefsteak and Rum Was $129   Now $99! (Includes Carnage, The Rum Tasting, A Diplomatico Rum Cocktail and Cigar) The Diplomatico Folks Have Made This Quite a Steal. They want all Dads and other carnivores to Attend. Thanks Diplomatico! Carnage, Beverage, Music and Cigars by Diplomático Rum Father's Day Sunday, June 16th

Though the centerpiece of Beefsteak Culture was (and is) the frenzied consumption of beef and beverage, with diners eating with their fingers and drinking with abandon, serving styles varied. Here's a 1939 article in The New Yorker that lays out the differences.  The article is entitled "All You Can Hold for Five Bucks!"  Adjusted for inflation, our Beefsteak will cost just about the same!   Carnage Our New Brunswick-Style Beefsteak (an annual tradition) will be a stand-up affair.  We will pass an array of some of the finest beef, lamb, boar and burgers you've ever had. We will have some potatoes and vegetables for good measure.  There will be no silverware. As they used to say of the old beefsteaks: "Don't wear your best suit."   4:30-7:30   Beverage Of course all of our amazing beer and wine is available for purchase but Diplomático Rum (one of our favorites) is providing some pretty serious rum options. 1) A Sit-Down Tasting/Seminar of Six Diplomático Rums (optional) with Diplomático's master blender, Nelson Hernández 3:30-4:30 2) A Stand-up Tasting of Six Diplomático rum. Nelson Hernández will stick around to offer insights at your leisure 4:30 - 7 3) Diplomático Rum Cocktails $10 Each (except the first one) Frozen Daiquiri, Mojitos, The Mary Pickford, and El Presidente (You will be surprised at how well rum goes with good Tonic and Mexican Coke) The tastings are included in the price of the Beefsteak. Sit-down Seminar alone is $29   Music Our friend Jerry Weldon and his quartet will be providing the music.  An Internationally renowned sax man, with eight CDs as a leader and more sideman sides than even he can count…or remember, this native New Yorker’s performance/recording résumé reads like a virtual "Who's Who of Jazz.." Jerry is a charter member and featured soloist with Harry Connick Jr.'s big band. He's played with Lionel Hampton, George Benson, Mel Tormé, Jimmy McGriff and a host of other legendary musicians. Jerry’s latest recording, "On the Move," spent two months on the Jazz Week charts and he's at work on a new CD!  He'll be playing 4:30 - 7 PM Cigars A Complimentary Cigar for Dad Weather Permitting, We Will Have Cigars Available in The Sidewalk Cafe The Beefsteak is $99 plus tax and service This includes The Tasting and a Cigar Sit-Down Tasting Alone is $29 [email protected] Or Reserve by phone 732-828-4444

Memorial Day @ Stage Left Steak - Gin & Lobster!

Memorial Day - Stage Left Style! Gin & Lobsters

We'll have tables on the sidewalk and lobsters on the grill. 4 PM - 9 PM Reservations by Clicking Here   We can't think of a better way to ring in the summer season than with Lobster and The Newest gin from Hendrick's: Midsummer Solstice. Hendrick's rocked the gin universe with the introduction of their limited edition 'Orbium' Gin (aromatics of Quinine, Wormwood and Blue Lotus Blossom) this spring. Now they've done it again with Hendrick's 'Midsummer Solstice' (aromatics of summer flowers).  Master Distiller Lesley Gracie has dubbed this a release from her 'Cabinet of Curiosities.' It's intensely floral in aroma, undergirded by a minty juniper structure and a lush, glycerol mouth-feel and punctuated with a strong, long and peppery finish. Sunday, we'll offer Midsummer Solstice Frozen Bee's Knees, and a tasting of The Three Gins Side-by-Side. We'll also offer an array of Gin Cocktails for just $10, including a Salty Dog, Stinger Martini (A Francis Original), 50/50 Martini, Aviation [both versions], French 75.

Lobster: Let Me Count The Ways Lobster Bisque - $12 Lobster Roll - $25 Lobster Tempura - $25 Lobster Club Sandwich (BLT) - $25 1.25 lb Lobster - $25 Two 1.25 lb Lobsters - $39 If lobster's not your thing, you've always got all of our wonderful Steaks and The Burger

Cinco de Mayo with El Tesoro Tequila

Cinco de Mayo  with El Tesoro Tequila Cinco de Mayo is an odd holiday for Stage Left to commemorate. While we think that some claims of cultural appropriation are overblown, it's always felt a little inauthentic of us to 'celebrate' this holiday as some sort of excuse to get drunk on Tequila (as if we needed an excuse). Especially as so many of our employees (and so many of the good people of New Brunswick) are actually from Mexico or of Mexican descent, we felt we had to be a little more thoughtful about it. I thought, "How would I feel if I worked in a Mexican-owned restaurant and the bosses threw a St Patrick's Day party as some sort of excuse to get drunk on Irish Whiskey (as if they needed an excuse)." Frankly, I would not mind, but I would like it if they looked into the origins of the holiday.

So here are some interesting facts about Cinco de Mayo, with apologies to all who already know. First of all, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day. It is a small holiday in Mexico (more parallels with St. Patrick's Day an Ireland). It commemorates the victory of 2,000 Mexicans against 6,000 invading French Troops in the village of Puebla, on 5 May 1862.   Sadly, Napoleon III later returned with more forces and installed Arch Duke Maximillian to rule. “Cinco de Mayo” became the rallying cry for the fight against the French occupation. They celebrated each year with song, dance, and food to remain focused on regaining the country and retaining their heritage. THIS is the origin of the holiday.  Mexico finally won their independence in 1867 when Arch Duke Maximillian was overthrown.   Cinco de Mayo was a rallying cry of the underdog who finally prevailed. It's a David and Goliath story we all can celebrate, mindfully...and while drinking Tequila.

So let's celebrate with an excellent Tequila at Stage Left Steak from our brothers and sisters South of the border. Sunday, May 5th Breaking out The Frozen Drink Machine - Frozen El Tesoro Margaritas ★ Complimentary Tasting Of All Three Ages of El Tesoro ★ Sidewalk Cafe Open (weather permitting) ★ Frozen Magaritas (the real way) ★ Fresh Juice / Cointreau Margaritas ★ Tommy's Margaritas $9 ★ A Selection of Ceviche Fish Specials Reservations Here I still remember the first time I tasted El Tesoro de Don Felipe Tequila. It was the early 1990s. It's still made by hand, crushed in a stone mill, baked in an old fashioned horno, fermented with natural yeast and distilled to proof with no addition of sugar or water. That's some serious Tequila right there, and it shows in every glass.

Mother's Day Brunch at Stage Left Steak

 

Mother's Day Brunch

Stage Left Steak 

May 12,2019 

11am-1:30pm

 

First Course

Seasonal Soup

Market Salad

Lemon Vinaigrette

Market Fruit & Berries

Tomato & Ramp Salad

Pistachio, Parmigiano-Reggiano

Pickled Ramps, Balsamic Vinegar

Shaved Carrot Salad

Goat Cheese Vinaigrette, Raisins

BBQ Shrimp

Carrot Ginger Purée

Warm Duck Confit Salad

Arugula, Pickled Shallot Vinaigrette

Cured Salmon

Capers, Pickled Red Onions

Brioche, Horseradish Crème Fraiche

 

Main Course

Sunny-side Eggs

Lobster & Potato Hash

Wild Mushroom & Asparagus Omelet

Brioche French Toast

Blackberry & Hazelnut Maple Syrup

Filet Mignon

Aztec Sauce, Roasted Asparagus

($20 supplemental)

Seared Salmon

Garlic Potatoes, Black Garlic Mojo

Yucca Chips, Grilled Tomato Salsa

Chili Lime Oil

Seared Wagyu Flat Iron Steak

On a 500° Himalayan Salt Brick

($20 supplemental)

Fried Chicken

Poblano & Jalapeno Corn Bread

Broccoli Rabe, Pearl Onions

Piri Piri & Garlic Honey

Flat Iron Steak and Eggs

Braised Lamb Shank

Anson Mills Polenta,

Sunny-side Egg

Wood Grilled Burger

Aged Cheddar, Tomato, Red Onion

Steak Fries

Dessert Bar

 

Crème Brûlée
Assorted Cookies

Cheesecake

Carrot Cake
Coconut Sabayon

Sticky Toffee Pudding
Chocolate Cake
Apple Crumb Cake
Ivory Chocolate & Banana Bread Pudding
 Molten Valrhona Chocolate Cake**

Fresh Spun Ice Cream and Sorbets**

**These Items are not available at the dessert bar,

Please ask your server.

 

$39.95 per person 

plus tax and gratuity

Our First Ever South African Wine Dinner

Our First Ever South African Wine Dinner  To Celebrate Our 27th Anniversary Thursday, May 23, 2019 6:45 pm

Tyrrel Myburgh at Joostenberg In charge of Both Vineyards and Cellar Estate Bottled Since 1999 Andrea Mullineux 2016 Winemaker of The Year The Wine Enthusiast

Please join us on the occasion of our 27th anniversary as we press forward with a wine dinner from a region we've never presented before. South Africa has produced some very good wines, but in recent years, we feel the bar has been significantly raised. The wines of Mullineaux and Joostenberg are game-changers. We've been working for a couple of years now to make this dinner happen. We will have not one, but two great wine families represented. I'm not going to begin to describe these wines in depth, because it would require a whole new frame of reference and once I began I would not stop for pages. Click the pictures for info on these extraordinary wineries. Instead, I will ask that you trust us. On the occasion of our 27th anniversary weekend, come see for yourself a couple of wine families that have changed the game. Enjoy wines that have changed the category entirely. Some of these wines retail for well over $100 per bottle, so we're running this dinner near cost. That's how much we want to show you these wines, in-context, and to introduce you to these winemakers. You will be floored.    Come party with us as we turn 27!

Tasting (New) with Hors d’Ouevres ★ Myburgh Brothers Little J White 2018 ★ Joostenberg Chenin Blanc ‘J.’ 2018 ★ Leeu Passant Chardonnay ‘Stellenbosch’ 2016 ★ Mullineux Chenin Blanc ‘Quartz’ 2017 ★ Myburgh Bros. Little J Red 2017 ★ Myburgh Bros. Cinsault 2017 ★ Kloof Street Swartland Rouge 2017 ★ Leeu Passant Dry Red Wine ‘Western Cape’ 2016   Crabcake ★ Joostenberg Chenin Blanc 'Die Agteros' 2017 ★ Mullineux Old Vines White 'Swartland' 2017   Duck Pastrami Tacos ★ Mullineux Syrah 'Swartland' 2016 ★ Joostenberg Family Blend Red 2017   Wagyu Steak Truffled Fingerling Potatoes & Mushrooms ★ Mullineux Syrah 'Granite' 2016     ★ Mullineux Syrah 'Schist' 2016       Assorted Biscotti ★Joostenberg Chenin Blanc 'Noble Late Harvest' 2017 ★ Mullineux Straw Wine 2017   Apple Tart Vanilla Ice Cream, Hardened Chestnut Honey Coffee, Tea $139 plus Tax and Service   $79 if attending all three dinners      [email protected] or   732-828-4444

Wine Dinner With Robert Brittan

Dinner With Robert Brittan
Sunday, May 5 at 5:30 PM

 

I first went to Oregon wine country in 1994. I was amazed at the potential, especially for Pinot Noir. I spent a week there at a conference called Pinot Camp for wine buyers. We tasted just about every winery in the state and, with a few notable exceptions, I was underwhelmed. The wines were all good, but so many of them so very similar. We all wanted them to be great, but I kept feeling like I was the only one in the room who saw that the emperor had no clothes.

Well 25 years have gone by, vineyards have gotten older and winemakers like Robert Brittan have come to understand the soils and micro-climates of Oregon. There are now several truly exceptional wines being produced in Oregon and the region is exciting. In the last quarter century, the emperor now has acquired a whole wardrobe!

Among the most exciting producers is Robert Brittan. Half the wine-makers you meet will tell you their Pinot Noir is 'Burgundian.' This is almost never the case and I have to restrain myself from saying, "Oh no they are not." When I met Robert recently at a tasting in New York, it was I who exclaimed to him that his wines were indeed Burgundian. We became friends on the spot.

Pinot Noir is supposed to be more about the soil than it is about the fruit, and this is just what you see in the various Brittan wines. They are beautifully structured. They are elegant yet powerful. Iron fists in velvet gloves. We're honored and excited to have Robert come with his wines on Sunday, May 5. These wines were made for great food and great company. We will have both on Sunday May 5. Do join us.

Dinner With Robert Brittan
Sunday, May 5 at 5:30 PM

Hors d’Ouevres
★ Brittan Syrah Willamette Valley 2013

Scallops Ceviche
a la Minute
★ Brittan Chardonnay Willamette Valley

Poussin with Wild Mushrooms
Mushrooms and Roasted Garlic
★ Brittan Pinot Noir Basalt 2014
★ Brittan Pinot Noir Basalt 2015

Double-Cut Tomahawk Steak
Prime 45-Day Dry-Aged
Mushrooms, Crispy Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts
★ Brittan Pinot Noir Gestalt 2013
★ Brittan Pinot Noir Gestalt 2014

Lemon Tart with Méringue

$149 per person
plus tax and service

[email protected]
732-828-4444

The Wines of Marchand-Grillot: Gevrey-Chambertin, Burgundy - April 18th

The Wines of Marchand-Grillot: Gevrey-Chambertin, Burgundy Like their vines, the Marchand and the Grillot families are both well-rooted into the Burgundian soil. Going back six generations, the Marchands were in the village of Morey St Denis, and the Grillots were in Gevrey-Chambertin. The families came together in a fortunate marriage in 1950. Marchand-Grillot was founded. Today Jacques Marchand heads the estate, bringing his knowledge borne by generations. He is followed by his son, Etienne, who is taking over the responsibilities. Etienne grew up on the vineyards, obtained degrees at university and has studied with vine-growers in Oregon. He brings modern wine-making methods to the family's long-standing traditions and in-depth knowledge of the Burgundian soil. The vines are worked by hand. The estate stopped using herbicides and insecticides 20 years ago. The wines are made at the estate (9 hectares of vines, made up of 47 different plots) by the family and aged on-site. Come and share some extraordinary Burgundy, meet the winemaker and enjoy dinner with us. Etienne Marchand will be here to host a dinner with his wines on Thursday, April 18th. I hope you can join us.

Marchand-Grillot Wine Dinner                 ...with Etienne Marchand Thursday, April 18th at 7 PM Tasting with Hors d’Ouevres ★ Gevrey Chambertin 'Au Velle' 2015 ★ Gevrey Chambertin 'En Jouise' 2015 ★ Gevrey Chambertin 'En Songe' 2015    ★ Gevrey Chambertin '1er Cru Petite Chapelle' 2014 Mushroom and Onion Tartlet with Bone Marrow ★ Morey St. Denis 2015 Duck Roulade with Orange and Hard Spices ★ Gevrey Chambertin 'Le Creot' 2015 45-Day Dry-Age Prime Strip Steak Wood-Grilled on The Bone, Parmesan-Gratin Potatoes ★ Gevrey Chambertin 'La Perriere' 2015 Butterscotch Pots de Crème Scotch Cream, Mixed Nut Brittle   $189 plus tax and service [email protected] or 732-828-4444

Wine Dinner with Anne Charlotte Melia-Bachas of Chateau de la Font du Loup

Dinner With Owner Anne Charlotte Melia-Bachas Great Southern Rhône Wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape Thursday, February 28 at 7 PM

Font du Loup translates to 'fountain of the wolves.' The property is named after the natural springs in the area where the wolves would come to drink. These fountains are indicative of the unique terroir that distinguishes Font du Loup.  You see, Font du Loup is on sandy soil, which is usually not the best for grape vines because it does not hold water. Here however, at one of the highest elevations of Chateauneuf, there is an aquifer 150 feet below the surface.  That aquifer (which fed the wolves) feeds the springs. That same water makes the grape farming possible on sandy soils. That water/sand condition, along with the highest altitude in Chateauneuf and one of the coolest microclimates of the region provides the distinct terroir of Château Font du Loup.   One cannot speak of the terroir of Châteauneuf-du-Pape without mentioning the ever-present Mistral winds; winds that can reach speeds of more than 100 miles per hour. The mistral serves many purposes, like keeping the vineyards cleaned from mold caused by humidity or rain. But it also puts the vines through a great deal of stress. That's a headache for the winemaker, but part of what makes Châteauneuf-du-Pape truly one of the greatest terroirs in the world. The estate has been in the Melia family since 1942, though it was not until 1979 that the first estate-bottled wine was produced.  Before that, the grapes were sold to negociants.   Anne Charlotte Melia-Bachas now runs the estate. She is charming as she is intelligent and knowledgeable. I had never heard of Font du Loup, until a friend invited me to lunch with Ann two years ago. She had brought her whole range of wines (including the extraordinary white Chateauneuf) and I fell in love (with the wine).  We’ve been trying to get her to visit for a few years now and that will finally come to fruition on February 28th. We will prepare a dinner worthy of these fantastic and singular wines of the Southern Rhone. I hope you can join us!

Hors d'Oeuvres Cotes du Rhone Rouge 2017 Lobster and Black Truffle Manicotti Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc 2017 Fun with Wild Boar: Salami, Sausage, Pâté & Slider Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge 2016 Roasted Lamb with Lamb-Confit Mushrooms and Fingerling Potatoes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 'Puy Rolland' 2016 (100 year old vines) Châteauneuf-du-Pape 'Legend' 2015    Butterscotch Pots de Crème with Scotch Cream and Brickle Coffee $139 per person Plus Tax and Service Thursday, February 28 - 7 PM [email protected] or 732-828-4444